Page 183 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING

Services Marketing

Notes There are two types of Blueprint:

1. One-sided Blueprint: These are unbalanced blueprints based on management’s perception
of how a sequence of events should occur. This is the beginning of marketing myopia.
Sincerity of efforts on the part of the management is no substitute to effectiveness. An
example of an employee blueprint is given in figure 9.5, overnight stay in the hotel.
Employee scripts are equally important in identifying parts not observable to consumer.

Figure 9.5: Overnight Hotel Stay

Overnight Hotel Stay

Hotel Carts Desk Elevators Cart
Physical for Lobby
Exterior Hallways for
Evidence Bags Key
Parking Room Bags

Customer Arrive Give Check Go to Receive
Bags Room Bags

Greet
Contact Process Delivery
(On Stage) Take
Person Papers Bags
Bags
Invisible Take bags
(Back Stage) to room
Process
Paper

2. Two-sided Blueprint: This considers both employee and customer perceptions of how
events occur. Consumers are asked to pay special attention to contact activities of service
encounters.

The blueprinting process is undertaken with scripts. There are some norms for the scripts which
are attempts to group events and order them in the sequence of occurrence. Thus there are two
types of scripts:
1. Convergent Scripts: Employee/consumer scripts that are mutually agreeable and enhance
consumer satisfaction.
2. Divergent Scripts: Scripts that mismatch and point to areas in which expectations are not
met.

Process can be changed from the simple to complex and vice versa or in terms of divergence. A
new positioning can be made or the old one can be reinforced in the following four ways:
Reduced Divergence: Cost reduction, product improvement and simpler distribution are

some of the ways this can be done. There is an opportunity to produce more uniform
quality while there can be the perception of limited choices (similar to a mass marketer).
Indian Railways tend to follow this strategy as also most air-freight companies.
Increased Divergence: Greater customization, more flexibility and therefore higher price.

Focus marketing or niche positioning can be attempted.

Example: Tour package operators like Kuoni/SOTC have attempted this strategy
successfully. They have had tour groups for school children with their class teachers as a mandatory
part of the group.

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